Finding
by no longer in use
Summary: Sorry about all this taking it off and putting it on again. And there STILL ISN'T ANOTHER CHAPTER! Edited. About a girl from Daine's old village, Snowsdale, and her quest to help a stormwing find her magic.
1. Prologue: Daine

Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce except Laona and her family and anything else I happen to invent along the way.  
  
Summary: This is about a girl in Daine's old village (Snowsdale, for anyone who doesn't remember) who knew Daine before she left and looked up to her. I also may include her looking all over for Daine and finding her just after the Kel books take place. But it starts right before the bandits come. The main character, Laona, is about six at this time. SHE WILL GET OLDER. It starts with a bit of third person narration by Daine, and switches somewhere to first person narrated by Laona, and then to present tense first person, for anyone who gets confused by that stuff.  
  
Finding:  
  
Daine looked at Laona, and smiled. The little girl was always following her around, trying to be just like her. She had always felt a special closeness with Laona, because, like Daine, the girl had Gifted parents, and, like Daine, Laona had no Gift herself. Laona's mother was constantly bullying and badgering her about that fact, saying that Laona would never be as useful as her siblings, who were all Gifted, and that she needed to work harder. Once Daine had even seen Laona beaten because she had failed to light a fire magically, and her older brother, Tonnen, had been able to. Laona's family wasn't exactly poor, but it wasn't the richest in Snowsdale either. Daine felt sympathy for Laona's parents, but not enough that she could understand why they would be so cruel to a six-year-old, whose only flaw was in no way her fault. Daine's own mother had always said that she wished Daine was Gifted, but had never punished her for not having the Gift.  
  
Daine and Sarra, Daine's mother, encouraged that Laona spend more time with Daine, away from her parents, and Daine had never minded the younger girl following her, in fact she rather liked someone being as much in awe of her as Laona was. Often, she would go to Laona's parents and ask them if they needed anything done. She thought that perhaps if all Laona's chores were done, Laona's parents wouldn't get on her quite as much. Laona herself wanted to learn healing. It didn't bother her that she herself was horrified at the sight of blood or bone. She'd told Daine quite plainly that she would do whatever she would to make the hurt go way, even if it meant throwing up after. "What if everyone was afraid of blood?" she'd said. "Then no one would want to heal and if anyone got sick or broke a bone or anything, they might just die because a healer didn't want to see their insides."  
  
One thing that Daine and Laona didn't have in common was animals. Laona was desperately afraid of dogs or anything with sharp teeth, and although she could ride all right, she was scared to get off because on the ground, the horse might kick her. It had probably started with the rabid bear. Laona had been quite young then, but she had still seen it, and like everyone else in the village, she'd been scared out of her wits. Perhaps more then anyone else. Now anything with more then four legs was something that she should stay away from, of else handle with extreme caution. She had seen Daine with a wolf once, and screamed so loud that the wolf, whose name was Rattail, and was the alpha female of the pack that live in the woods around Snowsdale, had barred her teeth and fled. After that, Daine had decided to wait to converse with animals until Laona was safely busy with some task.  
  
At this moment, Laona was carefully polishing Daine's treasured saddle. When Daine brought out her pony, Cloud, Laona was already inside, contenting herself by embroidering a little piece of white cloth from one of Daine's old dresses. She was definitely good with her hands, at sewing and embroidery and anything that required small, delicate work. This really wasn't very helpful to her family, for the chores they had set out for her were ones that required strength, things like lifting heavy loads, things that Daine really didn't think were the kind of jobs a six-year-old should be doing.  
  
Today Daine had promised her to take her complaint up with Laona's parents, Atten and Revva. Laona didn't want to be there, and Daine agreed with her- if Laona's parents were unhappy with Daine, they might take it out on their daughter. So while Laona stayed inside embroidering, Daine rode out on Cloud to Laona's house.  
  
It was Nanley, Laona's four-year-old sister who answered the door, sucking her thumb and taking it out only long enough to say-"D'you want Papa or Tonnen?" Tonnen was the blacksmith's apprentice, and people were constantly coming to him for lesser jobs and favors.  
  
"Your papa please, and your mama to if you can get her."  
  
"Oh, I forgot," Nanley said, "Papa's out. You can talk to Mama instead." She ran inside the house, still sucking her thumb.  
  
After a minute, Revva herself came to the door.  
  
"Whad'you want? I'm not buying nothing either," she said suspiciously.  
  
"I've come about your daughter, Laona.  
  
"What'd she do now? Lemme guess, has she run off with something? Never shoulda let her skip her work.ah, what a li'l brat. Bring her back here and I'll give 'er a good whippin'."  
  
"No, no, it's nothing she's done wrong.I just think she works to hard for someone her age. And not having the Gift should make it harder, not easier. Her workload should be less than her siblings, not more."  
  
"Whad'you mean? She never does her share anyhow-"  
  
"That's because she can't."  
  
"She can and she won't. She needs to be useful despite the fact that she don't have the Gift, and she's a lazy good-for noth'n."  
  
"She's very helpful around me."  
  
"That's cause you don't make her do a good amount of work. She'll want ta stay with you, but I'll not be letting 'er. She's not gonna get days off work again. She's stayin' home from now on. She ain't gonna see you again." Revva slammed the door in her face. Daine started home tell Laona what had happened.  
  
Laona was disappointed when she found out, then angry.  
  
"I'm not going back," she said. "The only one who means anything to me in that family is Nanley, and she'll get worse when she gets older. I'll.I'll run away to the forest. Can you take me to the forest, Daine?" Daine smiled.  
  
"No, but I'll take you home with me for now. I have to go over to see Lory tonight, you can come with me if you like. Laona agreed to that, and Daine took her home, while they both got ready.  
  
Lory, who was Daine's mother's friend, had a cough. Daine was to bring her some medicine to make it better. She saddled Cloud, putting Laona in behind her, and rode over to Lory's house. After attending to the cough, Lory's husband, Rand, wanted Daine to help with a ewe who was birthing. By then it was late, so Daine and Laona stayed the night. When Daine woke up the next morning it was noon, and fog was everywhere. Realizing that something was wrong, she told Lory to look after Laona, and rode quickly back to her house.  
  
If there are any mistakes (spelling, grammer, etc.) or irregularities, please let me know. 


	2. Chapter 1: Laona

Hi. It's going to overlap a bit here. It's now changing to first person with Laona narrating. She's going to begin narrating at about the point where Daine tells her what she learned at Laona's parent's house. Sorry if this is confusing.  
  
Finding  
  
Daine was brave. She didn't fear animals and she didn't fear blood and she didn't even fear my parents. Now I don't even know where she is, and I'm always wondering what happened to her. Well, I know a little bit about that. Earlier that day, she was going to tell my parents not to give me too much work. She said they were doing it because I didn't have the Gift. They never told me that. But it's true that all my siblings-Nanley, who was four at the time, Teyka, who was ten, Eff, thirteen, Layla fifteen, and Tonnen, eighteen, they were all gifted, and Ma never treated them the same as me. She always said I wasn't useful, or lazy, or something, and she was always finding more chores for me so I would be useful. I guess once she even said 'so you can be useful like your siblings,' but I never really thought what that meant till now. Anyway, I had a lot of jobs, but I didn't really think it was because I wasn't Gifted.  
  
Daine was going to tell them to give me less work. I was staying at her house because it was her opinion and my opinion that if my parents didn't like what I said, they would take it out on me. I think they were right because Ma told Daine she would beat me when I got home. She said she would never let me see Daine again. I wanted to run away when Daine told me. Then Daine said I could stay with her for a while. I was so glad Daine agreed with me. If she was more obeying of her elders she would have made me go back home. It wasn't only that, but her ma agreed with me too. Most anyone else in the village, child or adult, would have made me go home. I was so happy! I can't believe I was so happy right before the bandits came.  
  
Anyway, that night, Daine was going to go be a healer. She was as good at it as her ma, even if she didn't have the Gift. She was going to heal one of her ma's friends, Lory, of a nasty cough. I wanted to come with her, but she said I might as well not, with my parents looking for me as they were. They might not even be looking for me; I thought, perhaps they'd forgotten Daine had even come. They were very forgetful, especially Pa. Ma was often scolding him for drinking too much, when he forgot something. But Daine said I should stay at her house with Sarra, her ma. Sarra strangely disagreed. One of Lory's children was my age, she said, Tamick, wasn't his name? Wouldn't it be better if I had other children to play with rather than a scrap of embroidery?  
  
So I was allowed to go, and Daine had Sarra promise to tell no one of my being here, and when we arrived, she made Lory promise the same thing. Lorry does have children my age. Lanna, her oldest, is a year older than I am, and Tamick is my age to the month. Daine was everywhere, tending to Lorry's cough, seeing to the birth of a lamb, helping with the babies around the house. She and I stayed up late that night helping. Lory allowed us to sleep in late and I was glad of it. When I woke it was almost evening and Daine was gone.  
  
"Said she had t'go check on her ma," Lory told me. I spent most of that evening playing with Lanna and Tamick, but as it grew later, I began to wonder what had happened to Daine. Lory had said she'd left at noon, and it was late now. Surely she'd checked on her ma, and her grandda too, by now. I was getting scared when Teyka burst in. Teyka is my older sister. She's four years older then me and was ten then.  
  
"Bandits," she was panting "Killed the men, took the women.my whole family's dead.I don't know where to go.if you give me shelter.I'll ward you." she cut off when she saw me. "Laona?! I thought you were dead! Your not supposed to be here because Ma 'n Pa are look-" her face fell. "Ma 'n Pa are dead."  
  
"Bandits?" Lory said. "How could we not have known? Of course we'll shelter you.get inside immediately, child."  
  
"Where's Daine?" I asked. "Has anybody seen Daine?" No one had. When the bandits had gone for sure, I went looking for her. Her house was burned. I wouldn't go inside it. I didn't want to see dead people. So that's what happened to Daine.  
  
But two days later, we went back to the house, me and Teyka and Lory, to try to find Daine's body and that of her mother and grandda. We went into her from garden and she was there. At first I though she was a ghost and I screamed. Then she picked up a rock and threw it at Lory.  
  
"Two days," she half cried, half grunted. "She could-have-lived! And you didn't come for two-gods-cursed-days! She threw another rock, and this one hit Teyka on the lip and she began to bleed. "It's burned, and she's dead! I've helped you. I've-helped-you-all. Why can't you-help me?!" she was screaming now, and her next rock hit Lory in the shoulder.  
  
"Let's go," Lory whispered. We did, running from there.  
  
"Was it a ghost?" I asked.  
  
"Don't be silly." Teyka said. "How could a ghost throw rocks?"  
  
"It was Daine, " Lory said, "And she's right. No one went to see if she was alive for two days. Someone who could have lived during that time would have died if no one had come."  
  
I lived with Lory for a long while. During that time I heard rumors, and I began to develop a picture with those rumors.  
  
Daine had come home to find her family dead and her farm burned. She was very angry when she saw us, because we might have been able to save someone who was still living if we'd come sooner. This next part is the part I heard rumors of, and I have no idea if it actually happened. Daine turned wild. She took her revenge on the bandits. There was one rumor that said the wolves helped her. Then she went off into the forest. Any human that she saw she tried to kill. And then, after a few months, she disappeared. Some of the men went to hunt her, saying she was a danger to any in the forest. They say their horses and dogs turned on them. No one believes it. But I always thought Daine could tame any animal. She was always getting them to do things for her. I saw her talking to a wolf once. I was really scary. I screamed, and I never saw any more wolves after that.  
  
I wonder what happened to Daine. Some say she died. Even though she threw the rocks and killed people, I think she had every right. The people she killed were bandits who had killed her ma and grandda. She was brave. If any of that happened to me, I would just run away and hide.  
  
Now I'm nine years old. Teyka is thirteen. She wants to take me to Tortall, where I have a brother. My brother Dayven lives in Tortall. He's two years older than I am and I don't remember him at all. He left when he was three and I was one. He was so powerfully gifted they took him to train as a mage. He'll be eleven now. Anyway, Teyka wants to find us. She says he could probably give us a home. But I don't want to find my brother. I want to find Daine, if she's still alive. I don't really think she'll be in Tortall, but Ill go with Teyka anyway. Like her, I want to thank Lory and her family for taking care of us all these years and get out of her hair.  
  
So tomorrow I'll leave. I told all I know about what happened to Daine. Now I suppose I can tell more. 


	3. Chapter 2: Tamick

Ok, so it's gonna be in present tense now. Sorry, sorry, SORRY for all the confusion:  
  
  
  
Finding  
  
  
  
Teyka and I ride down the trail, going south. I'm still a little nervous at riding a big horse, but I know I need to get used to it. If I don't, I'll never get to Tortall or anywhere. This morning we said goodbye to Lory while Tamick begged to come with us. He almost got to, but then Rand, Lory's husband came out and told him Absolutely Not. We told them maybe we'd come back sometime, and they could meet Dayven. Or if they want, they can come to Corus. Will I be at Corus when they arrive? I think that I'm going to ride to Corus with Teyka and when I get there, I'm going to come back to Snowsdale and look for Daine. I thought about this for a long time, and decided that perhaps if I explain it right, Teyka and Dayven might help.  
  
  
  
Teyka isn't as forgiving of Daine as I am. She says Daine had gone mad, which was actually another rumor, but Teyka agrees with it. She thinks that Daine had gone crazy, and when she disappeared, it was because she'd killed herself. Of course, she has reason to be angry with Daine; she'd been hit in the lip with a rock when we went looking for her.  
  
  
  
And I myself don't think Daine is crazy or any of it. I only half believe that she made the wolves help her and the animals turn on the men. Teyka's much more into rumor than I am anyway.  
  
We ride until dark, me thinking my thoughts and Teyka hers, until we find a place to camp. Teyka wards us, of course, I watch sleepily; half-wishing I had the skill. If I go riding off by myself, there won't be anyone to ward me. Bandits could easily kill me in the night. I worry about that, but only slightly. I'm sure I can get Dayven to accompany me, and if I can't, I'm sure I can find someone. I'm happy as a finally drift off to sleep.  
  
We'll reach Cria by tomorrow, I think groggily as I wake up. The sooner the better, I guess. I notice that Teyka is already awake. Not only awake, but also cooking breakfast. I can smell bacon and bread and cheese, semi-fresh from Lory's farm. I'm not very hungry, but I will definitely eat. It will be a waste of food if I don't. I slide out of my bedroll, slowly stand up, and stretch. Goddess, but I'm tired. And it's not as if I went to sleep very late last night either. I shuffle over to Teyka and breakfast.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asks me.  
  
"Yes," I reply, "Just a little tired, that's all."  
  
"Breakfast's ready," she says. I sit down and take some food.  
  
"Ow," I complain, "It's hot."  
  
"I got up early because you wanted to get to Corus soon. I don't know what all the hurry's over, though. There was just a war in Tortall, you know."  
  
"There was?" She laughs, seemingly surprised at my ignorance.  
  
"Yes, the Immortals War. You were in the same places I was. I can't believe you haven't heard about it. Tortall and the rest of the Eastern Lands fought with Carthak, Scanra, and the Copper Isles. (A/N-?????) I'm sure you know about the immortals." I do. We had a spidren raid on our village a couple years back, and, much more pleasant, a wood-sprite had been sighted in the forest. I myself hadn't seen her, but Lory's daughter Lanna was one of the lucky ones. The spidrens-  
  
"Did they fight immortals?" I ask, my voice squeaking slightly.  
  
"Yes of course," Teyka says in her bossy, knowledgeable tone.  
  
"And were there-spidrens?"  
  
"Yes, and many others. Stormwings were involved, and Dragons, though the dragons were on the side of Tortall, not against it. They-we won, of course. It was over land, mostly. Carthak had been having a drought and, actually I'm not sure about much else."  
  
"Ha!" I say, under my breath. But spidrens. Ugh. When those spidrens had come to our village-I can't help thinking of the awful crunch they made as they chewed on the heads of the animals. Every time I see a spider, now, I call on Teyka or someone to squish it. I didn't like them before, but now I can't stand them. Fighting spidrens-when they came to our village, they just took and left. Nobody thought to fight them. And then another thought crosses me mind. "Did you say there were-dragons?"  
  
"Yes but that's all I know, so please don't ask anymore." I know she doesn't want me to see her at lack if information. Dragons. That's almost scarier than spidrens, not more disgusting, but scarier. It's hard to believe I didn't know about the war, especially if Galla was involved. Now I say,  
  
"Isn't it time we leave?"  
  
"You are in a hurry," Teyka reprimands me. "That's how this conversation was started, remember?"  
  
"I just want to get to Tortall before-before winter is all." It is early autumn now.  
  
"Oh, we will, unless it snows or something. It doesn't take that long. But all right, we can go now." Teyka mounts her horse and helps me to mount mine. What if it bucks me off? I wonder desperately. Why is no one else afraid of horses?  
  
It's still early, and the air is crisp and cool. The horse I ride is trotting, and I daren't tell it to stop, lest it decides that if I don't want it to trot then I might as well ride the ground instead of its self  
  
Teyka's horse is trotting too, and it's in front of mine. I think of telling her to slow it, but my mind is too concentrated on the riding. I tighten my grip on the reigns. Cria tomorrow, I think. Cria tomorrow. It's really all I can concentrate on.  
  
We stop for lunch in a shady clearing. I happily chew bread, dried meat, and cheese left over from breakfast while Teyka checks the horses for anything they might have picked up so far. I'm very happy not to be riding anymore.  
  
"I think we'll be in Cria tonight," Teyka says. "Since we're rushing so much." She gives me a glance. I pretend to be only mildly annoyed, but really my heart leaps. We're that much closer to finding Daine, I think. I hear some rustling in the bushes by where the horses are tied. Even if it's only a bird, I'm a little nervous. And what if it's not a bird, but a wolf, or a bear, or a -gulp- spidren.  
  
"Teyka, can you see what that is in the bushes?" I ask.  
  
"Oh, Laona!" she says, and goes to look. In a minute I hear her screaming wordlessly. She doesn't sound scared, just a little bit shocked. Then I hear words. "Tamick! Go back home right now! No, I will not tell her you're here, get home, go, you got here you can get back! And I thought you would know better, Lanna. Mithros! Go back, now!" I'm rather shocked myself. Lanna, and Tamick, here! I rush over to the bushes where Teyka is and there they are! Tamick grins sheepishly.  
  
"I ran away. Lanna went after me. She was going to bring me back but then she got lost. After that we found your trail, and.we followed you. And we're not going home, either," he says, with a glare at Teyka. "Or at least I'm not. Lanna's welcome to, although I rather enjoy her company."  
  
"I would like to see Cria," Lanna says matter-of-factly. "As I've never been out of Snowsdale. And since I'm responsible for Tamick, he's coming with me. That wasn't my goal before, but since we're this far now, that's what we're going to do. You aren't responsible for me, Teyka. I left with Ma's permission, even if she didn't know I was going as far as I am. Therefor even if we aren't part of your group, we will travel with you, as far as Cria, at least."  
  
"Very well," Lanna says primly, "But when I see your mother again, I certainly tell her that you insisted on coming with us."  
  
"Stop talking like a city girl and let's move," Tamick says. I agree with him. We are going to get to Cria by tonight, aren't we? I make myself mount the horse again, and the four of us start off. I'm pretty happy to having two new members in our group. I can't wait to get to Cria.  
  
I HOPE YOU LIKE IT. PLEASE REVIEW. 


	4. Chapter 3: Cria

Finding:  
  
Its night and we've reached Cria. Teyka is still a little grumpy at not being able to send Lanna and Tamick back, and I'm still a little spooked at riding a horse, but otherwise we are all fine. I eat dinner-roast duck and buttered bread-slowly, savoring the rich flavor. Lory gave us enough money to stay at inns every night of our journey-not that there will be one at every place we stop-and more besides. We can easily pay for a room for Tamick-Lanna will be sharing with me and Teyka-and get a fancy dinner tonight and probably on other nights too. I've just taken a warm bath and washed my hair so that it's rid of burs and tangles. It goes to me waste, which makes it tangle easily and bothersome to comb.  
  
I go to bed early, thinking of how tired I was this morning. I dream about the Green Lady. She appears above the well in Snowsdale and she's a healer. She reminds me, in a way, of Daine's ma, Sarra. She has basically the same job as Sarra did, except people are much more respectful of her. We think of her as Snowsdale's goddess. In my dream she tells me that Daine is still alive, and not to give up my search. Even in my dream I think-how would the Green Lady know about Daine? She came after Daine left, and Daine's hardly ever talked about. I suppose she can read all our minds.I'm really not sure of things like these. I wonder if the Green Lady is really trying to speak to me, or if it's just a dream. I hope it's the former.  
  
When I wake up it's still dark, but almost morning. I fish a roll out of my pack and eat it hungrily. I'm not tired anymore. I think, It's funny. Tired and not hungry one morning, but fully awake and hungry the next. I go over to Lanna's bed, then Teyka's. I don't want to wake them, what if they get angry with me? I wonder if Lanna and Tamick will go back now that we've reached Cria. Knowing them, I doubt it. I think now about what I know of Tortall. Some of the stories are very strange. A woman is a knight and the King's Champion, and they let women into the army. Except for having to ride, it would be fun to be a knight or a soldier.in any case; I'm too young for either. I can't wait until I'm old enough. For now, I just want to find Daine. Someone knocks on my door. It's Tamick.  
  
"We're going to come with you to Corus," he says.  
  
"I thought so," I reply. He grins.  
  
"Umm, I just have this feeling that you want to go somewhere else besides Corus."  
  
"Yes, I want to find Daine. I don't believe she's dead. I dreamed about the Green Lady. She told me that that was true and I should keep looking."  
  
"Daine-oh, Daine. You don't think she's dead? She was living in the mountains, Laona."  
  
"The Green Lady-I mean, in my dream she said that Daine was still alive. I'm going to try to get Dayven to come with me. And Teyka, if I can." I don't need to explain to Tamick about Dayven. Everyone in Snowsdale knows about my brother, the greatest mage ever seen in our small town. He's like a legend in Snowsdale, our town hero.  
  
"Dayven. I can't wait to meet him. I wonder what he'll be like. And do you really think Teyka will help you? She-she thinks Daine's crazy. And I don't think she likes her very much. She's always saying bad things about her."  
  
"Well.I don't know. I think you better go. You're not supposed to be in the same room as me." It's light now. I sit on my bed and think. Tamick's right. I'm going to have a hard time convincing Teyka to help me look for Daine. That's why I'm not telling her about my search yet. But.I have a plan. If I do tell her about it now, while I'm not to far from Snowsdale, and she says no I can run away and look for Daine alone. But if she says yes then I'll travel with her to Corus and have the benefit of two mages helping me. Yes, that makes sense. If I tell her when we get to Corus, she can lock me up, and I'll be too far away from Snowsdale to find Daine anyway. I'll tell her over breakfast.  
  
"Wait," I say to Tamick, who is opening the door.  
  
"What is it?" he asks.  
  
"I'm going to-I thought up a plan for my search just now. I'll tell Teyka at breakfast. If she agrees with me, I'll stay with her. But if she doesn't, I'll run away. Do you want to come?"  
  
"Not if it means going home. But otherwise, of course. Don't tell Lanna. She won't let you go."  
  
"I won't go back to Snowsdale, I'll just stay up in the forest around there. Maybe I'll look around Cria a bit first. She could have gotten here, easily." After Tamick leaves, I mentally compose my speech that I'll make to Teyka.  
  
At breakfast, I start it.  
  
"I didn't come with you just to see Dayven," I tell her. "I want to search for Daine. You remember her, don't you?" I don't wait for a nod. Instead, I continue. "I was planning to ask you and Dayven to help me on my search. It would be very helpful to have two with the gift join my search. I thought we could journey back to this area once we met up with Dayven. What do you think?"  
  
"What do I think? Daine? That crazy fatherless girl who left Snowsdale- and good riddance-years ago? Of course you can't. She'll probably try to kill you if she's still alive-and you'd rather do this than spend time with Dayven?" I've never seen her this mad before. I guess I know my answer. I share a look with Tamick. We've planned to meet in an hour at the front of the inn, if this should happen. I ready my bags. I plan to take only a few outfits-I haven't worn a dress since I've left Snowsdale, since Teyka agrees with me in their uncomfortable. I also take a small necklace that I found one day on the ground near my house. No one in my 'family,' which consists of Lory's family and Teyka, knows about it. It's a small green stone cut in the shape of the Great Mother on a leather cord that fits me perfectly. I also stuff some dried meat, a loaf of bread, a canteen full of water and some dried fruit into a large leather pouch. Then it is time to go.  
  
I run down to the front porch of the inn where Tamick should be waiting with our horses. I didn't want to ride, but Tamick said it was necessary. How would we get anywhere if we were only going as fast as our feet could carry us? I see Tamick holding the reigns of the animals and also a sack that must hold his food and clothing.  
  
"Are you ready?" I say.  
  
"Yes," he replies. "You said you wanted to search Cria first?" I nod. "Then let's go." We ride slowly down the street, trying to blend in with the crowd. Neither Tamick nor I have ever been to Cria before, although Lory's oldest, a boy named Ennen, has once. He was right when he talked about the hugeness of the place. Once or twice I see people looking at us strangely, like we're not right in the head. I decide it must be because of the fact that they're from the city and we're not.  
  
We pass on a shop with the sign 'Nerack Bennali-Horse Merchant.' Tamick wants to go inside.  
  
"I'm sure they have saddles there-and mine's falling apart. It won't take long-can we please go in?"  
  
"Of course," I tell him. "You are coming with me after all."  
  
Inside a young man, about twenty-ish, greets us.  
  
"Hello, I'm Drennan, Nerack's assistant. Nerack's out in the stables right now. What can I do for you?"  
  
"We wanted to look at saddles," I say. "The horse it would be for is tied out front. And-do you know anyone named Verilidaine Sarrasri?"  
  
"Isn't that-my old employer, Onua Chamtong, she worked for the riders down in Tortall, she had an assistant by that name. It's not common, is it? They're in Corus now-'r that's they were heading."  
  
"Thank you," I tell him. Could it be? It's possible. He's right in that Verilidaine Sarrasri isn't a common name. And Corus! I can meet back up with Teyka and Lanna. I'm in a happy, dreamy state as I walk out of the shop and wait for Tamick to get his saddle. I ride joyfully back to the inn, forgetting even to be afraid of the horse. When we get back, our rooms are empty. The innkeeper comes in.  
  
"Left an hour ago," he said. "Think they were looking for ye. Thought ye'd gone t'Corus. Are ridn' that way now, but if the girl is as scared of horses as she looks, ye won't catch 'em. Rode away at a full gallop, th'did." 


	5. Chapter 4: Jikkeh

Finding:  
  
We ride at a trot. Tamick insisted on a canter at least, but trots still scare me, so we ride at a trot. Tamick says we'll never be able to catch up to them this way, but I say that it doesn't matter, we'll all end up at the same place anyway. However, it would have been fun to travel with them. Luckily for me, Tamick has a very small Gift. He is able to light fires and creates not-very-efficient wards. I am glad to be riding with him, but I wish I had never made the speech to Teyka. We're headed towards Corus of course. We'll make it in about five days. The innkeeper told us that there were lots of immortals on this road. I'm nervous and pray to the Goddess that I see none.  
  
We pass some trees and then a stream, seeing no other people. I'm rather bored, but I concentrate on the horse. This makes me bored and scared. We stop for lunch in a thick grove of trees by the stream I saw before. I eat some bread and cold soup from the inn. Tamick joins me.  
  
"Do you really think Daine will be in Corus?"  
  
"I'm not sure, but this Onua person probably will. If Daine's her assistant, we can ask her about Daine. What's that? It looks big for a bird?" Why do things always happen during lunch? I think without looking. When I'm eating? "It's a stormwing!" Tamick yells. "Find cover!" I'm to scared to move. I freeze in place. The stormwing is carrying a rock in its talons. It is female, and actually looks young, for a stormwing. It's not as dirty as some of the others I've seen. But it-she-is aiming her bow at me. I hear Tamick, although faintly.  
  
"Run!" he screams. "Run!" Finally, I do. I follow him to where he is standing deeper in the trees. The stormwing sees me and follows. "Keep going, it's following, it's following!" Tamick is as scared as I am. I follow him as he runs. I get to my horse and fumble for a bow that Lory gave me. I give it to Tamick, I'm too scared to shoot straight, and he aims and misses. We both scream. The stormwing follows us as we run. Finally I get up the courage to ask,  
  
"Why are you chasing us? What did we do to you?"  
  
"Stormwing killer!" she screams. "Your family is a family of stormwing killers. They killed Tazeren and Akknen! Your sister killed Tazeren and Akknen!" She sounds almost scared under her anger.  
  
"Do you mean-Teyka?" I ask. I can't understand why I am talking to her, when I'm too scared to run, but at least it's keeping her distracted.  
  
"So she has a name! She and the other girl, the archer!" Is she thinking of Lanna? "I will kill every last one of you! They killed my parents for no reason! We came and they-attacked! So now I attack you!" She throws the rock, and like Tamick's arrow, it misses, bouncing harmlessly off into the creek. She dives low to grab another, and Tamick shoots, hitting her this time, in the face, right below her eye. It leaves a long scratch, which bleeds a little. "I'll kill you both! Your kind murdered my grandmother, that pig Verilidaine murdered my grandmother."  
  
"Daine?" I ask. How could a stormwing know Daine? I could imagine her doing it though, bravely shooting a stormwing with her bow, and defending herself and her friends.  
  
"Yes, Daine," she snarls. "Do you know her? She's killed so many stormwings it would be hard to count. Are you related to her? Then it will be satisfying killing you."  
  
"We-we know where she is," I say. I don't know if this will help at all, but I have an idea.  
  
"You do? I'll wait to kill you until you show me, and then you'll all be dead."  
  
"We won't show you unless you promise not to kill me. I'd rather die now then tell you if you don't." Tamick has caught on to my plan.  
  
"Very well. I won't kill you until I-I won't kill you." I know what she is thinking. When she finds Daine, she won't need us anymore, and then she'll kill us.  
  
"This is strange," Tamick mutters. "Bargaining with a stormwing. At least we know she'll probably keep her promise. I think."  
  
"My name is Jikkeh, by the way," she says. "I know yours, so I thought you should know mine." How could she know our names, I wonder, and then drop it. I know we can't tell Jikkeh that we are going to Corus, because she'll kill us and go there, we just have to lead her. I whisper to Tamick,  
  
"We can't go directly to Corus, or she'll know. We have to kind of go in circles or something like that."  
  
"One more thing," Jikkeh says "You can't hurt me or get in anyone else to do so." We both nod our heads.  
  
"That's fine," Tamick says. "After we finish eating we'll start." Jikkeh also nods. We eat quickly, nervously, trying to ignore Jikkeh, who is sitting on a branch above us.  
  
"Jikkeh," I say, "Will you fly? Or do you want a perch on one of our saddles.?" Tamick shoves me, obviously not happy with the idea. I however, am not as afraid of the stormwing now that we have gotten her under control. There are people on Corus who can protect us, mages, archers, and people who have knowledge of stormwings. And until Daine is dead, and I swear to myself that she will not die, we are safe from this stormwing.  
  
"I'll fly until I get tired," Jikkeh says. "But you might as well take some of the branches that are here, since you don't know if there will be any later." She smirks. "Dreadfully sorry about the smell." Tamick and I grimace. At least she's calmed down, I think.. After eating, we ride away, Jikkeh flying over head. As I suggested, we don't ride in a straight path to Corus. We zigzag around. Once we go back in a circle. It doesn't really matter if Jikkeh realizes what we're doing, as long as she doesn't realize where Daine is. We've agreed to protect each other, as part of the deal. Jikkeh is smart enough to realize that if some stronger monster or anything of that type attacks her, and we don't help her, than we will be rid of her. It's a bit unfair, since Jikkeh will keep us safe because she needs us, and we don't really need her. I hope we don't see anything that is a threat to Jikkeh, because she scares me enough, and I can't think what something that scares her would do to me.  
  
At night we camp out. Jikkeh perches on a branch at the head of the camp. I dream of the Green Lady again. It is hard to believe that it was only a night ago that I dreamed of her last.  
  
"Trust the stormwing. She is more than she seems and is friendlier than she seems. Take her to Daine. She will help you on your mission. I will give you this to help you." She takes my necklace, which I wear even in my sleep, the green one cut in the shape of the Goddess, and takes it in her hand. Then her palm fills with golden light, which all disappears into my necklace. Then I wake up and it is morning.  
  
I don't think to look at my necklace until the afternoon. When I do, it is glowing with a faint golden light. I realize that the figure is not the Goddess anymore, if it ever was, but the Green Lady. Or is it Daine? For some reason I find it hard to tell. Why shouldn't I? I think. It's not as if the Green Lady looks anything like Daine.or maybe she does. I show the necklace to Tamick and tell him about me dream. However, he can't seem to see the change, and still thinks the necklace resembles the Goddess. He can see the glow around it, however, and says it is the glow of magic. Not necessarily the gift, but a magic of some kind. I should keep it safe, and probably not let Jikkeh see it.  
  
The day goes on with no strange happenings. I sit on my horse. I remember the Green Lady's command. 'Trust the stormwing.' How could we trust Jikkeh? Yet perhaps stormwings are more honorable than I thought. Perhaps Jikkeh will be bound by her word, and not harm us, even after she has found where Daine is. I tell Tamick, who says that's all fine, but we should keep going in zigzags and circles. 'She is more than she seems and friendlier than she seems.' That I can believe. Jikkeh is actually not bad to talk to, and talking her keeps my mind off of riding. I don't know how she is more than she seems, but she is friendly, for now. 'Take her to Daine.' That is what we are doing. Daine is prepared, and has killed stormwings before; if what Jikkeh says is true. The deal we made says nothing about making sure she kills Daine, only making sure she finds her. And 'She will help you on your mission.' Who will help? Daine? Jikkeh? What mission? My mission right now is to find Daine, and I already know where to find her. Perhaps to keep her from being killed by Jikkeh, but how could either Daine or Jikkeh help with that.  
  
I decide to leave the Green Lady's riddle for later. Except for one thing. I still want to know how she knows about Daine. The Green Lady's not even a great god, and I don't think even they can mind read. Perhaps she saw Daine when she was living in the woods, or when she went to Cria, or even in Tortall. She's from Snowsdale after all, so why shouldn't the Green Lady keep an eye on her.  
  
We camp out again, and this time I have no dreams. It's hard to sleep, because my necklace is growing brighter as it gets darker, and making the entire tent light up as if a candle were burning. When I finally do sleep, it's dreamless and peaceful, and I feel very rested when I wake up. Jikkeh has decided to tell us a little bit about herself. She's a young stormwing, not even a century yet. Her parents were Tazeren and Athdekah, and she had a brother named Akknen. When they came upon Teyka and Lanna, all in her family flock were killed, her uncles, her cousins, her grandparents-"except for my grandmother, Zaneh Bitterclaws," she tells us. "She's already dead, killed by Daine, the monster, before the Immortals War." I tell her that this is like what happened to me, when the bandits came. I feel horrible comparing Teyka and Lanna to bandits, but if the killed a flock of stormwings who had done them no wrong for no reason.?  
  
Jikkeh says that when she found us, she was upset and a little crazy about the death of her family. What she did to us was as bad as what they did to her. She will kill Teyka and Lanna, not us. I shudder. I don't know if she's lying or not. Perhaps she really had lost her temper, and wouldn't have tried to kill us otherwise, or perhaps she's lying, trying to get us to go in a straight line to Corus. I remember again what the Green Lady said. Then, before I can even argue with myself, I counter the argument, saying, it couldn't have been only a dream, because look what happened to my necklace. I decide that we can go take a more direct route, but I'm not anywhere close to telling her where we're going. I quietly inform Tamick, and remind him of the dream I had the same way I reminded myself.  
  
"There's one thing I'm wondering about. Why didn't the stormwing use magic? When she was trying to kill us, don't all stormwings have magic?"  
  
"I'll-I'll ask her about it. I don't think it's a very dangerous question, and after all, it's a question, not an answer." Then, to Jikkeh, "When you had-had lost your temper and were trying to kill us, why-why didn't you use magic?" For a moment I see a flash of anger behind her eyes. Then she says,  
  
I-I really don't know. I was so angry I forgot I had it." She seems so much more civilized now. Her speech, her manor, she doesn't even smell at all. I want to ask her about that sometime too, but not now. I have a feeling that when she answered my question, she wasn't telling the truth. But why? 


	6. Chapter 5: Corus

Finding:  
  
I'm still wondering about the stormwing and her magic as we trot along the bank of the River Olorun. We're so close to Corus now, traveling on the river instead of on the Great Road East. I haven't dreamed of the Green Lady since those two nights, but my necklace still glows, somewhat more strongly than before, me and Tamick agree. I haven't done anything to show that I trust Jikkeh, anything except telling her about my life in Snowsdale, my time with Daine. Tamick hasn't either; rather he's done the opposite. He paid a man who was riding down the road to ride fast ahead to Corus and tell them a stormwing was coming to kill Daine, Lanna, and Teyka, after he confirmed that Daine was in the capital.  
  
"She has Wild Magic," he said. "She can change into animals and talk to them and stuff." At that point I thought, Oh no. ".and she helped ta win the Immortals War." We did this while Jikkeh was sleeping and she never noticed.  
  
The River Olorun is cold and refreshing as I dip my face in and wash. We'll be in Corus tomorrow, so Tamick, with his map, says. We eat lunch quickly, then ride again, and set up camp, just as we have done for days. Corus tomorrow, I think, and Daine! There are noises tonight, just like there have been every night, but tonight, I am not afraid. Jikkeh is perched on her branch, Tamick is snoring softly, and I lie, half-asleep and silent. When I do fall asleep, the Green Lady is there.  
  
"Get the stormwing to Daine," she says, "and hurry. You will be too late otherwise, and then the only person that can help you on your quest will be dead. Remember to use the gift I have given you." I wake up and can't understand the message at all. How can I use the necklace, and what is this quest?  
  
We'll be inTortall before lunchtime. Jikkeh knows where we're going, I think, but doesn't kill us, doesn't give any sign. Perhaps I am wrong about Jikkeh. Perhaps it really is just anger, and she will not kill us once she has found Daine. But I still worry about Daine, and Teyka and Lanna, who are in Corus by now.  
  
And then there it is. It's beautiful, the biggest city I've ever seen, not that that's very many. We trek down the road. The man said Daine is in the palace, so that's where we go. Corus is so big, and crowded, and full of people. No one notices the stormwing flying high, high overhead. They don't look at us either. We reach the palace, and it's huge, again the biggest building I have ever seen. I tell the doorman,  
  
"We're looking for Daine," and that's when the archers come out. Twelve of them, and other men and women between them, their hands raised up, I can assume the must be mages. One of them, a tall man, who is so tall, I can't believe it, shouts,  
  
"Come down here, stormwing. We don't allow killer stormwings in the city. You'll die if you don't come down now." Jikkeh drops, and all the mages and archers ready themselves. I remember part of the promise we made to Jikkeh, the part about protecting her from threats.  
  
"Don't hurt her," I say. "Please, she's my friend. She only has a-a difference to settle with Daine, please don't kill her."  
  
"If she harms Daine we will kill her," says the mage. "Or at least I will. How do either of you," he looks at Tamick "any of you know about Daine?"  
  
"I'm from Snowsdale," I say. "I heard she was in Corus, and, well I was her friend there. She was real nice to me when my family wasn't."  
  
"Come in," says the man. He leads Tamick, Jikkeh, and me to a room a young woman-Daine! -inside, talking to, of all things, a baby dragon.  
  
"Daine!" I say. She looks at me strangely for a moment. I'm stunned. Does she remember me? "Daine, it's me, from Snowsdale. It's Laona."  
  
"Laona?" she says. "Laona, the little girl that always followed me around. You've grown! And who are your friends?"  
  
"This is Tamick, Lory's daughter. And this is Jikkeh Bonetooth. She's a stormwing."  
  
"I noticed," Daine says dryly.  
  
"She-she wants to kill you. She said you killed her grandmother."  
  
"Her grandmother?"  
  
"Zaneh Bitterclaws," Jikkeh puts in.  
  
"Oh yes. Her. That's a long story, but I'll tell it to you. Me and Onua- that's the person I used to work for-were bringing some ponies to Corus and Numair-he's a mage-was in hawk form and the stormwings were chasing him. Zaneh was one of them. We shot at them and didn't kill her, but we killed many. She wanted revenge.  
  
"Later, during an attack on Pirate's Swoop, she and her flock attacked."  
  
"My parents were there," Jikkeh says.  
  
"I was weak, and she thought she was going to kill me. But my pony, Cloud, gave me strength and I shot her. I would have killed her anyway, so you can blame me if you want, but if you try to kill me I will defend myself."  
  
"I can't kill you. That mage out there won't let me. But I certainly would if I could. You killed so many in our flock. And then her-"here she points a claw at me-"her sister and his sister-" she nods at Tamick-"killed so many more. And then with Rikash's death during the war, it's-"  
  
"Rikash Moonsword was part of your flock?" Daine asks.  
  
"Yes, Barzha took it over after Zaneh's death. Why, did you try to kill him too?"  
  
"Rikash was a friend of mine."  
  
"He was?" Jikkeh asks, clearly surprised.  
  
"Yes. Your flock helped us in the Immortals War." What is Daine talking about? I think. She was in the Immortals War? I truly thought that that man was crazy, when he said that to us. I mean, I know Daine had something with animals, that she talked to them, and they listened to her, but- she has- what did that man say? Wild Magic. I didn't know there was a name for that. I'm about to ask if this is really true, but then I realize I can't do this without giving away the fact that I talked to that man to Jikkeh. Instead I ask Tamick,  
  
"Why haven't you said anything this entire time? You haven't even introduced yourself to Daine."  
  
"She was friends with a-a stormwing! They aren't-you can't be friends with them!"  
  
"Rikash was different," Daine says. "And who are you? You look familiar."  
  
"I'm Tamick. I'm Lori's son from Snowsdale. And. have you seen either of our sisters?" Lanna and Teyka! I've almost forgotten about them, with Jikkeh and Daine and being in Corus.  
  
"Yes, Teyka and Lanna. They came here looking for us, I think."  
  
"I haven't seen them, but I'll help you look."  
  
"Also, Daine? One more thing. Do you know who the Green Lady is?" Daine looks shocked. Then she says:  
  
"That's right, it was mostly Snowsdale where she was. Yes I do know about her. I-she's my-well, tell me why first, and then I'll tell you what I know."  
  
"She's-you know who she is. She appears to me in dreams sometimes. She wanted me to bring Jikkeh to you. She kept talking about some quest, and the only person that could help me would be dead, and she.she did something to my necklace." I show Daine. "And it used to look like the Goddess, but now it looks like her, the Green Lady. And it glows, even brighter in the dark.  
  
"Can I see it?" Daine asks. I hand it to her, and the moment she touches the green object at the end of the cord, the necklace begins to glow so brightly that we all shield our eyes from it. And then the Green Lady appears before us, and looks at Daine.  
  
"Daine, Laona must find the stormwing's magic," she says, and is gone.  
  
"W-what did she mean?" I ask.  
  
"I have no idea," Daine replies. "But I think it's safe to tell you-Tamick and Jikkeh too- that-Laona, the Green Lady is my mother."  
  
"But-but what about Sarra?" Is all I can think to say.  
  
"She is Sarra. There are very few people who actually know. When she died, my father, the god Weiryn, made her into a goddess. She's still Sarra, except- different."  
  
"And you don't know what she meant?"  
  
"No, but I do think that your necklace can do more than you know. Maybe she'll continue to come to you in your dreams, and will explain then. Also- what exactly did she tell you, before?" I tell her, all I can remember.  
  
"I think she wants you to go on a quest with Jikkeh. I'm not sure, but I think. Why don't we go find your sisters? Maybe they will know more." We start walking, the tall mage still following us. 


End file.
